Radio tube socket



July 31, 1945. A. w. FRANKLIN RADIO TUBE SOCKET Filed April 10, 1943INVEN TOR. A lbw? Frank/1r? Pa lented July 31, 1945 UNITED .STATES'PATENT OFFICE assosso asmo ms sooner Albert w. Mn, New York my.Application April 10. 194:. Serial No. 482.565

2 Claims. (01. ts-'32s) This invention involves improvements in radiotube sockets for special use with the ultra high frequency type of tubeknown in the art as the acom tube.

The main object of this invention is to Provide an ultra high frequencyradio tube socket which is extremely simple in construction andparticularly characterized by the features of construction of the pinreceiving contacts forming a part thereof.

A particular object vide a contact for sockets of this typ which insuresgood electrical engagement with the tube pins and which maintains thiscontact under the normal intensities of vibration to, which suchdevicesare subjected.

A further object of the invention is to provide contact clips for thispurpose which require a minimum of effort to insert and remove the pinswhile maintaining good contact with the pins under the severestvibration conditions normally to be encountered.

A more detailed object of thisinvention is to provide a terminal pinclip so constructed as to normally act to maintain firm mechanical andelectrical engagement with the tube pins.

'Ihese and other detailed obiects successfully secured by the structureherein disclosed will be fully described in the following specificationwhen taken in connection with the attached drawing.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement and relative location of parts as will be described indetail below.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a top .plan view of a radio tube socket with terminal clipsconstructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;and

Figure 8 is a front elevational view, somewhat enlarged, of one of thecontact clips.

The socket oi thisinvention includes a base or support 10 of'anysuitable configuration as, for example the ring or washer-like formationillustrated. This support may be made oi any proper insulating materialavailable for eillcient of the invention is to pro-- use especially atultra high frequencies and, for

example, may be a ceramic material. The base is provided with a pair ofholes II by means of which it may be attached to a suitable support inthe apparatus of which itis to form a part.

Mounted on the support and. as illustrated, extending radially withrespect thereto are a plurality of terminal pin clips or contacts IIsecured to the support in any suitable manner as. for axe ample, bymeans of the riveted eyelets l3. Each clip I! i formed from a singlepiece of suitable resilient metal such as, forexample, phosphor bronzepreferably heavily silver plated to provide .low contact resistance withthe tube pins.

Each clip includes what may be called a base plate which terminates atone end in a downwardly extending integral tip iladapted to lie in anaxial slot is on the inner face of the support "III as is clear fromFigures 1 and 2. The opposite end of the base plate is provided with anaperture II by means of which a circuit wire may be hooked thereto andsoldered in place in accordance with the usual practice. Extending alongthe opposite sides of the base plate l4 and integral therewith are apair of upstanding walls is which have a vertical relation with respectto the plane of the base plate ii. The inner ends of the side walls areout free of the base plate, as is clear in Figures 2 and 3. and are bentso as to lie in converging planes towards the center of the support. Theterminal ends is of the converging wall portions are bent towards eachother so as to extend towards each other, as is clearly illustrated inthe front end elevational view of Figure 8. The upper edges of the endsis are smoothly curved in a downward direction into a pair of straightedges which diverge downwardly into curved edges which terminate inoverlappini tips 20. I

As will be seen from the type of socket illustrated, the clips areadapted to receive the tube terminal pins by movement in an axialdirection towards the support I 0 as is true of the acorn type of tubewhose terminal pins radiate from the base thereof. One terminal pin isshown in cross-section at P inFigure 3 in the position it will assumewhen the tube is in the socket. In order to reach this position the pinis applied to the top curved edges of the end walls is of the clip andis guided smoothly as it is forced downwardly to a position to cause theconverging side walls to move apart to allow the entry of the pin P intothe more or less similarly shaped seat defined at the lower divergingedges of the end walls. The downward movement of the pins is limited bythe overlapping tips 20 and the adiacent edges of the end walls is beinginclined, as shown, exert downward pressure on the pin P causing it tobe firmly seated on the tips II and to be firmly engaged at oppositesides of the inclined edges. Thus each pin has at least three points ofcontact with each clip insuring good mechanical and electrical contactbetween the pins and the clips. The result is a firm engagementor theclips withthepins toresistvibration while maintaining excellentelectrical contact therebetween. By reason 01 the shape of thecooperatingedgesottheendwalls lithepins may be relatively easilywithdrawn forcing the iiexible converging side walls apart as the pin iswithdrawn. The upper curved edges aid in properly aligning the tube withthe socket at the timepressureisappliedtoseatthepins.

From the above description those skilled in this art will readilyappreciate the advantages and utility, of the structure herein disclosedand will be aware or possible modifications thereof while employing thenovel subject matter herein disclosed. I do not, therefore, desire to bestrictly limited to the disclosure given herein in anillustrativesensebutratherbythescopeoitheclaims granted me.

What is claimed is:

1. An electricalcontact terminal clip of metal comprising a bottom wall.a pair of parallel side walls attached to said bottom wall, and a pairof opposed ears at the corresponding ends oi the side walls defining aconstricted slot closed on one end and open at the other, said sidewalls bein: detached from the bottom wall at the edges adiacent saidears and said ears having overlappinz extensions forming the closure forthe closed end of the slot. 7

2. In the combination or claim 1. said slot being divergent from a pointoi constriction towards its closed end.

ALBERT W. FRANKLIN.

